Clothespin



W. H. WITT. CLOTHESPIN.

APPLICATMON FILED MAR. 22, I920.

Patented July 20, 1920.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. WITT, OF PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF '10 RICHARD ALEXANDER TITMUS', 0F P ETEBSBURG, VIRGINIA.

CLOTHESPIN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J uly 20, 1920.

Application filed March 22, 1920. Serial No. 367,794.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. Win, a citizen of the United States, residing at Petersburg, in the county of Dinwiddie and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clothespins, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to'the accompanying drawm s.

Ihis invention relates to an improved clothes pin, and an object is to provide a device of this kind which is very simple, and comprises novel features and advantages and can be very cheaply made and sold at a reasonable profit.

Another object embodies a clothes pin constructed from a single length of spring wire material so bent as to afford a plurality of clamping jaws whereby a clothes pin may be applied to the clothes line and the clothes thereon in several different ways, whereby the clothes may be held to the line as efficiently by one way of application as by another, and vice versa.

While the design and construction at present illustrated and set forth is deemed preferable, it is obvious that as a result of a reduction of the invention to a more practical form 'for commercial purposes, the invention may be susceptible to changes, and the right to these changes is claimed, provided they are comprehended within the scope of what is claimed.

The invention comprises further features and combination of parts, as will be hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed.

- In the drawings:

Figure 1,is a view in perspective of the improved clothes pin constructed in accordance with the invention and showing one application thereof to the line,

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing another application of the clothes pin to the line, Y

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing still another application of the pin to the clothes line; and

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view .of another application of the clothes pin to a line.

Referring more especially to the drawings, 1 designatesa clothes in as a whole and which is constructed rom a single length of spring wire material, bent upon itself medially as at 2 to form a loop, the portions 3 of the wire material beyond the loop 2 being disposed slightly inclined toward each other 'for the greater part of the length of the clothes pin as shown. At a point beyond these inclined sides 3 the sides are slightly outwardly turned from each other, and are bent upon themselves as shown at 4 to provide loops 5. These loops 5 are at right angles to the loop 2 and furthermore both sides of the loops 5 are outwardly inclined in opposite directions. The wire portions 6 beyond the loops 5 are disposed substantially in parallelism with the opposite sides 3. The loops 5 and the wire portions 6 constitute one set of jaws 7 for engaging a clothes line and the clothes thereon, while the wire portions 6 and the sides 3 of the clothes pin together with the loop 2 constitute another set of jaws for clamping the clothes line and the clothes thereon, when the clothes pin is inverted. The wire portions 6 of the clothes pin at points where the sides of the loop 2 merge from the sides 3, incline slightly from the loop 2 as shown and terminate in laterally extending curved eyes 8. These eyes terminate in positions beyond the loop 2, while the loop 2 is outwardly turned from portions of the jaws 6 near the eyes 8 so as to guide the jaws 6 and the sides 3 upon the clothes on the line. The jaws or sides or wire portions 6 together with the eyes 8 constitute jaws which may coact with each other to clamp clothes, particularly when the clothes pin is suspended upon the clothes line by means of the loop 2, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing. It is to be noted that from the foregoing and the illustrations in the drawing that the clothes pin can be applied to the line in several different ways and while this is true the clothes may be clamped upon the line equally as well by one method as by each of the others.

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed as new and useful is:

1. As an article of manufacture, an improved clothes pin constructed from a single length of wire bent upon itself substantially midway its'ends to form aclamping loop, the sides of said loop slightly inclined toward each other and being slightly inclined outwardly and laterally at the opposite ends, said outwardly and laterally inclined parts terminating in additional loops constituting clamping jaws, said additional loops being positioned at right angles to the first loop and constituting jaws, the second loops terminating in additional jaws at right angles to the sides of the first clamping loop jaw and being inclined slightly away from each other and the greater part of their length, said additional jaws terminating in eyes, either pair of said jaws constituting means to engage the clothes on the line.

'2. A clothes pin constructed from a single length of spring wire bent upon itself substantially midwayits ends thereby forming a main loop, which may be adapted to engage a clothes line, the sidesof the loop being slightly inclined toward each other and being bent upon themselves at a point a substantial distance from the main loop thereby providing auxiliary loops which may be adapted to engage a second clothes line extending at right angles to the first line, the portions of the wire beyond the auxiliary loops being positioned in planes substantially parallel to the sides of the main loop but positioned offset laterally from the sides of the main loop whereby they may engage on either side of the clothes lines, which engages the main loop, the terminals of the sides of the auxiliary loops acting as jaws, while the auxiliary loops constitute the main jaws.

3. A clothes pin constructed from a single length of spring wire bent upon itself substantially midway its ends thereby forming a main loop which may receive and engage a clothes line, the sides of the loop being extended and bent upon themselves at a point at a substantial distance from the main loop thereby forming auxiliary loops, constituting the main jaws of the clothes pin, certain of the sides of the auxiliary loops extending in planes substantially parallel to the sides of the main loop and being positioned offset laterally from the sides of the main loop but in a direction with the clothes line whereby the end portions of such sides may straddle upon opposite sides of the clothes line which passes through the main loop.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

WILLIAM H. WITT. 

